Consider This: Teen Texting

November 3, 2011 at 3:07 PM EST - Updated June 25 at 8:11 PM

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) This week we reported on teens who are obsessed with staying in touch. In our wired, constantly connected world teens – and many adults – have to be in touch 24/7 and that's causing all sorts of issues.

Consider This: The constant ding of an incoming message at all hours of the night impacts sleep patterns. Doctors tell us that children who do not get enough rest are more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety and even an increased risk of drug abuse.

Parents, are you checking on your child and monitoring their activities? If you're not, you should be. You might be surprised to find out what is happening when you think they are sleeping or studying.

Although teens feel they have to be connected 24/7 it's just as important to make sure we carve out time to disconnect. In this case, silence really is golden.